Thomas marshall



(ModeL) T. MARSHALL.

NURSING BOTTLE TUBE CLEANER. No.265,842.' Patented 001:.10; 1882.

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. UNITED STATES PATENT @FErcE.

THOMAS MARSHALL, OF EAST GREENWIOH, LONDON, ENGLAND.

NURSING-BOTTLE-TUBE CLEANER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 265,842, dated October10, 1832.

Application filed June .27, 1882. (Model) Patented in England March 10,1882, No. 1,165; in France June 8, 1882, and in Belgium June 10, 1882.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS MARsHALL,a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at East Greenwich, London, England,'have invented anew and useful improved appliance to facilitate cleansing the insidesurfaceot flexible and elastic tubes used with feeding-bottles, (forwhich I have obtained patents in the following countries: Great Britain,No. 1,165, hearing date March 10, 1852; France, hearing date June8,1882; Belgium, bearing date June 10, 1882,) of which the following isa specification.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved device orinstrument for cleaning the flexible tubes of infants nursing-bottles. Aserious objection to the bottles of this class arises from the fact thatthe interior of the tube becomes coated with a tenacious covering ofcaseine, which isinsolublein water,and canonly be removed with greatdifliculty by mechanical means. Brushes of various descriptions havebeenemployed-t'orthispurpose,buthaveproved impracticable, for-the reasonthat the bristles or wire of the same would not act successfully inthoroughly removing the caseine from the tube. Experience has proventhat the tough, te nacious coating of caseine can only be removed bypositive force, which requires an instrument constructed with a scrapingor denuding edge and so constructed as to withstand the required strainin order to scrape oft the coating, and at the same time possesssut'ticient flexibility to be passed through the flexible tube.

To this end my invention consists in a flexible shank, preferably oftwisted wire, having secured at one end a solid seamless tube, havingformed thereon and integral therewith a head having a suitabledenuding-edge, the said tube being stamped or spun upon the end or endsof the shank, so as to securely hold it thereon, as more fullyhereinafter specified.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a sectional view of the flexibletube, showing the means of using my improved device; and Figs. 2, 3, 4,5, and 6 show elevations of modifications of my device.

The letter'A indicates a seamless tube of metal, having formed in tegraltherewith a head, B, by spinning, stamping, or upsetting the metal atthe closed end of the tube in the manner well known to metal-workers.

The letter F indicates the shank ofthe instrument,-constructed offlexible material. This is constructed preferably of two or more twistedwires,theportionsGotwhicharelooped,asindicated, and the free endsot'which are inserted in the seamless tube, which is forced well home, theends diverging 01 extending latcrally,and the tube being securelyfastened upon the shank by stamping or spinning, flattening the upperend of the tube down upon the wire, so as to form a head with a scrapingor denuding edge, as shown.

In the modification shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings the tube is formedwith two or more scraping-edges, and in Fig. 3 the edges are formed inthe shape of a screw-thread.

In the modifications shown in Figs. A and 5 the tube is represented ashaving a sponge or other absorbent material attached to the head to wipeout the interior of the elastic tube after the removal of the caseinecoating.

In Fig. 6 the device is represented as having a shank composed of asingle wire. In this instance the end of the wire setting in the tube isturned laterally, so as to be clamped at the head of the tube when'thesame is stamped, spun, or upset.

The operation of my invention is clearly iiidicated in Fig. 1 of thedrawings, in which the letterG indicates the flexible tube to becleansed.

The instrument is preferably of such proportions that thedenuding-edgeot' the tubular part will be somewhat greater in diameterthan the said tube, so as to act with some force when being drawnthrough said tube and insure the perfect removal of the internalcoating.

The instrument is used by passing the shank through the tube and thendrawing the whole through the tube.

The instrument will of course vary in size according to the diameter ofthe flexible tube to be cleaned, so that the denuding-head will in everycase be of sufficient diameter to thoroughly and efliciently scrape theinterior of the flexible tube.

I am aware that lamp-chimney cleaners have been provided with diskscarrying a wiper; but in such the disks lack a sharp edge, and thereforecannot perform the ofitlce of my peculiarlyconstrueted device.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, 1s-- 1. An instrument for cleaning the elastic tubesof infants nursing-bottles, consisting of a flexible shank provided atone end with a seamless metallic tube, having formed integral therewitha suitable head, which head and tube is secured to the shank bystamping, upsetting, or spinning, and which is provided with adenuding-edge, B, for removing the coating from the interior of theflexible tube, substantially as specified.

2. An instrument for cleaning the elastic tubes of infantsnursing-bottles, consisting of a flexible shank provided at one end witha seamless metallic tube, having formed integral therewith a suitablehead carrying a wiper, H, which head and tube is secured to the shank bystamping, upsetting, or spinning, and which is provided with a sharpdenuding-edge,B,for

removing the coating from the interior of the flexible tube,substantially as specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

THOMAS MARSHALL.

Witnesses:

RICHARD CORE GARDNER, CHARLES ALFRED GROSSETETE.

